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The 33rd Annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show was held on September 15-17 at the Denver Merchandise Mart. The theme of the show was the "Minerals of the San Juans", and there were over 60 outstanding displays from museums, universities, dealers, and private collectors.
The San Juan Mountains are located in Southwestern Colorado and are home to several historic mining towns, such as Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, and Lake City. The area contains numerous gold and silver mines with over 10,000 claims, but it has also been a commercial producer of lead, zinc, copper, and iron.
For mineral collectors, the San Juans represent a well known, prolific source of specimens and include several classic localities:
Rhodochrosite (Sunnyside, Mountain Monarch, Grizzly Bear, Champion mines)
Fluorite (Sunnyside, Thistledown mines)
Maganocalcite (Idarado mine)
Quartz (Idarado, Ohio, Amphitheatre mines)
Pyrite (Rico mines)
Sphalerite (Portland, Commodore, Camp Bird mines)
Barite (Camp Bird, Senorita, Mother Cline mines)
Most of these locations have been closed for several years, so the show exhibits provided a unique opportunity to view the remarkable minerals that have come from this scenic and historic region of Colorado.
Here are a few examples of the fine specimens that were on display:
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